Magnetic–Internal–Kinetic Energy Interactions in High-Speed Turbulent Magnetohydrodynamic Jets

Abstract

Abstract The goal of this study is to investigate the interactions between turbulent kinetic, internal, and magnetic energies in planar magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) jets at different regimes of Mach and Alfvén Mach numbers. Toward this end, temporal simulations of planar MHD jets are performed, using two types of initial fluctuating velocity field: (i) single velocity perturbation mode with a streamwise wavevector and (ii) random, isotropic perturbations over a band of wavevectors. At low Mach numbers, magnetic tension work results in a reversible exchange of energy between fluctuating velocity and magnetic fields. At high Alfvén Mach numbers, this exchange results in the equipartition of turbulent kinetic and magnetic energies. At higher Mach numbers, dilatational kinetic energy is (reversibly) exchanged with internal and magnetic energies, by means of pressure-dilatation and magnetic-pressure-dilatation, respectively. Therefore, at high Mach and Alfvén Mach numbers, dilatational kinetic energy is seen to be in equipartition with the sum of turbulent internal and magnetic energies. In each of the regimes, the consequent effect of the interactions on the background Kelvin–Helmholtz vortex evolution is also identified.